A Pennsylvania man charged by federal prosecutors with helping to ship contraband laboratory equipment to Syria could face up to 5 years in prison under his tentative deal to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge.

Harold Rinko, 72, owner of an export firm in Hallstead, Susquehanna County, was indicted in the case along with two Syrian brothers, Ahmad Feras Diri, 39, of London, England, and Moawea Deri, 36, of Syria, in November 2012, but their case remained sealed until Wednesday.

U.S. Attorney Peter J. Smith said a probe by several federal agencies showed the trio conspired to illegally ship chemical equipment, including items used in detecting chemical warfare agents, from the U.S. to Syria between 2003 and late 2012.

The Syrian government has been accused of using chemical weapons during the country's ongoing civil war. The U.S. government restricts exports such as those Rinko, Diri and Deri are accused of shipping in an effort to curb Syrian efforts to back terrorism and develop weapons of mass destruction, authorities said.

Smith said the three men were charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, illegal export of goods, money laundering and making false statements. They used false invoices and bogus labeling to ship the forbidden material from the U.S. to Syria through third-party countries, he said.

The plea agreement for Rinko, owner of Global Parts Supply, won't be final unless it is approved by a judge in U.S. Middle District Court. It states that, in addition to the potential prison term, Rinko could be hit with a fine of up to $250,000.

Ahmad Diri was arrested in London on March 14, Smith said, and Moawea Deri remains at large and is considered a fugitive.

Federal agencies involved in the investigation included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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